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I’ve long argued that one of the best value uses of Avios is for long-haul Business Class on Iberia – booked through Iberia Plus rather than through British Airways Executive Club. In particular, off-peak redemptions can provide excellent value.

From April 2018, Iberia will commence direct flights between Madrid and San Francisco. Initially it’s scheduled to be a seasonal service operating 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, until September.

When I first heard about this I thought there might be some excellent value to be had, but in reality I’d say the value is ‘good’ rather than great at 51,000 Avios off-peak one way (75,000 during Peak dates).

Taxes look unusually high too at £198.70.

For comparison, Madrid to Los Angeles is 42,500 Avios + £111.50 off-peak.

What is good about the San Francisco route (apart from being direct) is that because it’s a new route, there is plenty of Avios availability at the moment.

Bottom line

Not one of the very best value Avios redemptions perhaps, but Iberia Business Class is actually pretty good (better than BA) and finding award availability to San Francisco can be tough, so it’s an option well worth knowing about.

Hat-tip: TravelSkills